Proving Value of Company Meetings

No one has to tell you that we are living in tough times. It’s times like these that off-site meetings are often deemed “frills” and are among the first things to be slashed from an already tight budget. Given this gloomy fact, how do YOU convince the powers that be that it is still necessary to hold a meeting or event?

Here are 10 arguments that are being made by meeting planners around the country:

1.Companies that do hold meetings set themselves apart from the masses that are slashing and cutting back. They will have an edge when the economy picks up again.

2.Holding off-site meetings and conventions sends the message that ‘we’ as a company are solid.

3.We can have the meeting, but we will keep it low key. We understand it’s not politically correct to do something extravagant right now.

4.ROI (return on investment) is always tricky to measure, but our industry's annual (semi-annual, quarterly) convention is one area proven to boost the bottom line: solidified relationships with current customers and vendors.

5.Sharing information with all who need it at the same time is critical to the success of our new project .

6.Meetings create enthusiasm that is contagious.

7.Hearing an outside voice makes the message more memorable. Enlisting the support of an industry expert will give our content more impact.

8.Using a trained facilitor assures that all points of view are aired and considered.

9. Many members of our organization rarely see each other - productivity will rise from being able to solve common problems that are never broached in e-mail exchanges.